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Necessities

At a minimum, you will require:

WAVE software
This is freely available from PhysioNet in source form, and in binary form for PCs running Linux. (Older binaries for SPARC-based systems running Solaris 2.x or SunOS 4.1.x are also available on PhysioNet. See how to obtain the current version of WAVE .)

     

A computer capable of acting as a WAVE host
(one for which a binary version of WAVE is available). Virtually any PC with a 386 or better CPU can run Linux, and such systems are likely to be the least expensive choice. Ideally, a Linux PC to be used as a WAVE host should have at least 8 Mb of RAM, at least 200 Mb of available disk space, a three-button mouse (or trackball), and a graphics card and monitor (17-inch or larger, with a dot pitch of .26 mm or less) capable of non-interlaced display at 65 Hz or faster with a resolution of at least 1024x768 with 256 colors. In most cases, you will also want the system to be equipped with a CD-ROM drive (for loading software and digitized signals) and an Ethernet adapter or a modem. Check the Linux Hardware-HOWTO to be sure that your chosen hardware is supported. Most graphics cards, including the popular accelerated cards, are fully supported by the standard XFree86 X server, but a few high-end models are supported only in SVGA compatibility mode. Most PCs manufactured since 1995 will easily meet these requirements; new PCs will exceed most of them by large factors. In mid-2002, it was possible to assemble a suitable Linux PC for about US$300 (not including the monitor). It is not unreasonable to budget an equal or greater amount for a good monitor, since WAVE 's usability depends to a significant extent on being able to see its output clearly. If your budget permits, a flat-panel (LCD) monitor is an excellent choice, particularly if you plan to do much annotation editing, because these monitors typically present very stable images that do not tire the eye.

Inexpensive three-button mice, trackballs, and touchpads manufactured by Logitech and many others are widely available for PCs, and are highly recommended if you do much annotation editing. Most are fully compatible with Microsoft two-button mice. Some users prefer trackballs for precision editing since there is no tendency for the pointer to move when clicking the buttons, as with a mouse.

For those on a tight budget, suitable used PCs are often available for next to nothing. If you use an older PC and can afford to upgrade components, get a new three-button mouse or trackball first, a new monitor if the old one is inadequate, more memory if you have less than 64 Mb, a new IDE disk drive (around US$100) if yours is more than 3 years old, and only then consider other performance upgrades such as a faster CPU. Although Linux does not require large amounts of RAM, it can use additional RAM very effectively, and you are likely to find that purchasing (say) 16 or 32 Mb of additional RAM results in a bigger performance improvement than spending the same amount on a faster CPU. Fully configured and supported Linux PCs are available from many vendors if you prefer not to assemble your own; see the Linux Commercial-HOWTO for further information.

SPARC-based systems tend to be considerably more expensive than comparable or faster Linux PCs. Used SPARCstations may be worth considering.

A source of digitized signals
         Desktop SPARC systems are equipped with a single-channel analog-to-digital converter that may be adequate for some applications (newer versions have high-speed two-channel 16-bit ADCs). Several vendors supply data acquisition subsystems for SPARC systems, which may be useful if you require more speed, resolution, or inputs.   PC-based hardware and software for digitizing signals is available at significantly lower cost from many vendors. The WFDB Software Package includes MS-DOS software for converting signals from analog to digital form and back again, using ISA-bus ADC boards from Microstar Laboratories (see ADC boards). Large collections of digitized reference recordings of ECGs and other signals are freely available from PhysioNet, and may be purchased on CD-ROMs from MIT and others; several CD-ROMs are currently available for use in basic research in physiologic signal processing as well as for evaluation of instrumentation. Single CD-ROM drives are widely available for prices ranging from US$50 to $300, depending on speed; CD-ROM changers and jukeboxes are also available at higher prices.


next up previous contents index
Next: Printers Up: System Requirements for WAVE Previous: System Requirements for WAVE
George B. Moody (george@mit.edu)
2003-07-16